Diane Asitimbay Hi, Diane. Welcome to the Poetry Zone. First question. What were you like as a kid? Kinder Nosy - I was the spy for my kindergarten class. When our teacher went out of the classroom for a few minutes, she caught me being the lookout at the doorway. For punishment, she made me wear a long, rolled-up orange nose made of construction paper, like Pinocchio, and I had to stand at the doorway while everyone looked at me when they went out for recess. Go-Kart Zoomer - I confused the gas pedal with the brake and ended up speeding through the gates into the parking lot. People ran to the sides of parking lot because I was going to hit them. Teeter-Totter Madness - I broke my right (and writing) wrist when I put a long piece of wood over a brick and told my friend to jump hard on the other end. I went flying in the air and came down on my wrist. What are you like now? I like to talk a lot, and my daughter tells me I'm a teacher 24/7, which I really don't want to be. Hmm . . I try to be a healthy eater, I don't like air conditioning because I feel too cold, and people are always telling me that I'm a little crazy. What is the best part about being a writer? When I write, it's going to places in my dreams. If you could pick any job in the world, what job would you pick? I would always be traveling and writing, and I dream of getting paid a lot. What do you do when you're not writing poems? I like people-watching, and I listen closely to people's voices. I also like spending time with my family, watching my daughter play basketball, and we go bike-riding together. What is your latest book? It's called No Perfect People, Please and it's for children from 6 to 12. It's an illustrated collection of humorous poems about twenty six children and their not-so-perfect personalities. Each child has a funny tongue-twisting name that begins with a letter of the alphabet and reflects a personality trait - from Adam Amazola's Amazing Appetite to Zippy Zelda Zimmerman. Demanding Danny Duffet Demanding Danny Duffet never waits for what he wants. A choo-choo train, a moo-moo cow, a dog that goes bow wow, Danny wants it NOW! Uh-oh! he sees a truck, what luck! Here it comes! The beat of his drum - Tum tee tum tum It's time for Danny to throw his tantrum. Demanding Danny Duffet drops to the floor of the department store. He kicks and cries, while watching his mother's eyes, twisting and turning and squirming, he screams and screams, until people stop and stare, and glare from everywhere. He howls and growls, until his mother gives in, and Danny wins, She buys him the toy, oh boy! Uh-oh! Now Danny Duffet sees a backpack! Get ready for the next act! Here comes another, just like the other. Listen to the beat of his drum, tum tee tum tum Danny's TANTRUM. Do you have any plans for future books? I have another collection of children's poems in the works, and I've written a novel about a young girl growing up and learning about her own identity. Do you have a website? Yes, you can go to www.asitimbay.com where you can write me, download trading cards of the characters in my poetry book, No Perfect People, Please! and post your own poetry on my poetry club web page. Thanks, Diane. And good luck. Go back to top of page